Writing

Let us always meet each other with a smile, because a smile is the beginning of love.

- Mother Theresa

Thinking on this today and how powerful our every moment has the potential to be. As human beings won’t always be joyfully in the moment. (Hello, Stepford).

Human experience is full of emotions and plenty that aren’t pleasant. And I think its okay – more than okay, important – to honor those emotions and feel them fully as they pass through us. When we allow ourselves to feel what we’re feeling, we can acknowledge ourselves and our reactions and choose to feed or let go of emotional states.

But what about the times we are just simply so distracted that we forget to engage with the moment, with the opportunity for a smile? How many times have I rushed through portions of my day, mentally cataloguing errands to accomplish or rehashing recent conversations or taking care of seemingly urgent business via text – anything that takes me away from the actual experience I am having, even if it is simply walking through the supermarket? I’m not striving for perfection. But there is something here that speaks to me now.

And compels me to become more aware of my tendencies towards autopilot, tendencies that could be obscuring opportunities for the beginning of love, even if that love is just a momentary human connection with a fellow traveler through this life.